Truck body



Match 10, 1931.

A. G. SCHLICHER TRUCK BODY Filed March 24; 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Marcial0, 1931- A. G. SCHLICHER TRUCK BODY Filed March 24, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet5 flrlhur Schliclzer Patented Mar. 10, 1931 rte TRUCK BODY Applicationfiled March 24, 1928. Serial No. 264,290. i

This invention relates to vehicle bodies in general, and particularly totruck bodies of the automobile type.

The main object of the invention is to pro- 7 vide a vehicle body whichcan be very quickly converted from an open type body to a closed type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a convertible vehiclebody which can be very cheaply constructed and with relativelyadjustable parts, which can be quickly moved toward and from theirvarious positions with very little effort.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the detaileddescription thereof proceeds.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective View of the invention as awhole;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section the line.22 of Figure 3 Figure 3, is aside elevation of the truck body proper, with parts thereof broken awayand shown in section;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear end of the body;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view 3 of a modification of theinvention;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of a joint in the topsupporting rods shown in Figure 6;

F igure 8 is a plan view of the joint shown in Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of another modified form of theinvention.

In the form shown in Figures 1 to 5, inelusive, this invention isapplied to the chassis 1 of an automobile truck provided with the usualengine covered by hood 2 and drivers cab 3.

taken on The vehicle body comprises the floor 4, on Y 5 and are tonguedand grooved into the side otherwise framed into top rails 11 connect ingthe rear wall 12 of cab 3 to the tops of the rear standards 6.

The wind shield supporting framework 13 of cab 3 extends above the toprails 11, to form the front wall 14 (see Figures 2 and 3) of a casing 15adapted to receive a collapsible top 16. The casing15 extends over thetop of the cab and terminates at the rear wall 12 thereof.

Guide rods 1'? are secured at their opposite ends to the rear of'wall 14and to lugs 18 projecting laterally from the upper ends of Wear plates7, and have their notched rear ends 19 projecting rearwardly of saidlugs to receive the stiffening rod 20 of a flexible end cover 21. Thisend cover 21 is of the spring roller shade type and is adapted to berolled on the rod 22, suitably mounted in the casing 23 fixed below therear end of the vehicle floor 1, the ends 19 of rods 17 being providedwith notches 245 to receive and hold the ends of rod 20.

The flexible top 16 has its inner end 25 suitably fastened (see Figure2) to the wall 14-, and at spaced apart intervals is secured to j thearcuate members 26 which have their ends suitably secured to the ends ofslide members 27 which extend across the rails 11 and slide freely onthe guide rods 17. The rear end slide member is provided with a handle28 (see Figure 5) to facilitate the opera tion of the top 16 and springs29 engage arms 30, projecting from said member to lock e the top 16yieldingly in closed position on the body, which has a flap 31 at itsrear end 2 adapted to overhang the upper end of curtain 21 and buttonthereto to seal the end of the vehicle body completely.

As shown in the drawing, the standards 6, 8 and '10 are rabbeted toreceive plates 32, projecting beyond the edges of the standards to formgrooves 83 adapted to receive slids ablepanels 3t'which are providedwith panes pendicularly to these rods.

of the guide rods 17 outside the truck body 35 of non-shatterable glass.A lifter 36, is secured to the lower rail of each panel 3 1-, anddepressible leaf springs 37, secured to the sides 5 of the body serve tohold the panels in raised and vehicle closing positions. in themodification shown in Figures 6 to 8, the guide rods 38 are articulatecintermediate their ends, the front ends being idly secured to the wa l 11-, of the cab 3, and their movable rear ends being adjustably securedin slotted exte ions 39 of the wear plates as. The flexible cover 16 es,before, on these rods 38; but its rear half may be elevater to receivearticles 7 somewhat higher than the main body of the vehicle.

Figure 9 shows a modification having a tail board 41 hinyed, as usual,to the rear end of the floor l. in this case, the rear flexible cover 21is fixed to the upper end of the tail board as shown. The other elementsof thisform of the invention are otherwise the same shown in Figures 1to 5, and are similarly operated.

From the disclosure in this case it will be noted that the sides of thistruck are of permanent construction, having fixed panels enclosing thelower half of the truck body, and having transparent slidable windowpanels which may he slid from their lowest position in front of thefixed panel to raised positions where they serve to close each side completely. I

The flexible top 16 when collapsed is completely enclosed in the casing15 over the drivers cab. This casing 15 is flush with the rear wall ofthe cap and therefore, has no part overhanging the truck body tointerfere in any way with the loading of goods higher than the casing15. Furthermore, casing forms a protective covering for the collapsedtop which prevents injury to it by goods being loaded on to the opentruck.

Another feature of great importance in this invention resides in thebroad rear end slide member 27. The spaced'apart arms 30 at the ends ofslide member 2'? prevent the member 2'? from binding on the guide rods17', when the top is being collapsed, as they insure the sliding of thismember always per- T also prevents their being bent or otherwise injuredby the loading of the truck.

Having thus described my invention, what 7 I claim is 1. In a truckbody, the combination of a drivers cab having a ceiling; a receptacleabove the ceiling having a roof, front and 1 v V .L V 1 site walls andopen back, loS front wall flush with the front cab wad and its sidewalls over reaching the cab side walls; near each side wall, a guide rodattached to the front.

wall of the receptacle, extending backward and supported on standards atthe back corners of the body; spanning runners adapted to slide on theguide rods; and a flexible cover for the body, attached to the frontwall and to the runners, all folding into the receptacle. V

2. In a truck body, the combination of a ivers cab having a ceiling; areceptacle yer-eve the ceiling having a roof, front and side walls andopen back, its front wall flush "-n the front cab wall and its sidewalls I

